Biotech meeting set April 24-25 in Mindoro

Occidental Mindoro Governor Josephine Ramirez-Sato along with leading experts in the field of biotechnology will discuss biotechnology and its potential in enhancing agricultural production in the province in a two-day seminar-workshop on economic opportunities on biotechnology.

The marathon meeting will be held at the Sikatuna Beach Hotel in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro on April 24 and 25, 2006.

Biotechnology and its application to agriculture has become popular as it offers solution to the problem of diminishing agricultural land devoted to food production.

The Philippines sees biotechnology, not only as solution to the problem of massive land conversion of agricultural lands for other purposes such as industrial and residential uses, but a key to economic growth because biotech crops offers increased yield with less production cost, not to mention value-adding to agricultural products and byproducts.

Dr. Saturnina Halos, chairman of the Department of Agriculture Technical Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and Director Alicia Ilaga of the DA’s Biotechnology Program will discuss biotechnology and the prospect of the province with the application of modern biotechnology in agriculture.

Halos will discuss biotechnology as a science and its potential benefits to farmers and other stakeholders, and the economic opportunities it offers to the people while Ilaga will discuss the DA’s Biotechnology Program in partnership with LGUs and the private sector.

Sato will give an inspirational speech and will lead the town mayors and the provincial and municipal agricultural officers in Occidental Mindoro in attending the seminar-workshop, which aims to promote capacity-building for LGUs on biotechnology commerce or biocommerce.

Engineer Danilo Manayaga, president of Secura Inc., will talk about plant biotechnology for pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.

Invited to attend as guests of honor are Hon. Godofredo B. Mintu, chapter president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines — Mindoro chapter, and Dodolfo Guieb, regional director of the Department of Agriculture.

The seminar-workshop is an initiative of the Department of Agriculture in cooperation with the Biotechnology for Life Media and Advocacy Resource Center (BMARC). — Biolife News Service